Build, buy, integrate or retire: start with the business process.
Buy software when it meets the business need at an acceptable total cost and level of control. Build a bounded part when the valuable requirement cannot be met well enough by existing products. Include integration, migration, training, ongoing operation and the ability to exit in the decision.
01 / Describe the process before the solution.
Write down the task the business needs to perform and the result it must produce. Identify the people using it, the volume and exceptions, the information that moves between systems and the consequence of failure. Separate a business requirement from a preference for how a screen should look.
For example, a quotation workflow may need to enforce pricing rules and pass an accepted order to production. It may not require a bespoke customer database if the existing CRM already holds the right information. The decision should preserve what is useful and avoid creating another system to operate.
02 / Compare four credible options.
| Option | It can fit when | Check before committing |
|---|---|---|
| Buy and configure | A product covers the important workflow with tolerable compromises. | Export, integration limits, recurring fees, permissions and support. |
| Integrate existing tools | The tools work but information does not move reliably between them. | API limits, error handling, reconciliation and who owns the connection. |
| Build a bounded part | A specific valuable requirement remains unmet. | Acceptance criteria, ownership, maintenance and the cost of change. |
| Retire or simplify | A system duplicates another or costs more to operate than it contributes. | Data retention, downstream dependencies and a controlled shutdown. |
03 / Compare the full cost of the decision.
A subscription fee and a build quote are not directly comparable. Put the same cost categories against each option over a period that matches how the business will use it. State the assumptions so the owner can challenge them.
- 01
Purchase or implementation, configuration and initial integration.
- 02
Data cleanup, migration and validation.
- 03
Training, process changes and parallel operation during transition.
- 04
Recurring licenses, support, monitoring and maintenance.
- 05
Expected changes, vendor restrictions and failure recovery.
- 06
Export, replacement and shutdown costs when the system ends.
Do not turn an uncertain estimate into a precise saving. Distinguish known prices, quoted work, assumptions and unresolved dependencies.
04 / Check the exit before choosing the entry.
Ask the vendor to demonstrate an export, explain license transfer restrictions and name what happens if the subscription ends. Confirm whether the company controls its own accounts and whether an integration depends on a provider’s private account.
For custom work, distinguish company account control, rights to paid project work and licenses to embedded background tools. Use the technology ownership checklist. A custom system can also create dependence if only one person knows how to run it.
05 / Use a written decision record.
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Business goal | The outcome and process the decision supports. |
| Options considered | Bought products, integration, bounded build and retirement where relevant. |
| Evidence | Demonstrated fit, known constraints and cost assumptions. |
| Operating owner | Who responds, maintains it and approves changes. |
| Acceptance and exit | How success is tested and how the company can leave. |
| Decision and review | Who approved it and what would cause the decision to be revisited. |
The decision may be to investigate one constraint before committing. That is a useful result when the constraint could reverse the choice.
06 / How Ego Eimi makes the decision.
Foundation reviews the dependency and presents a quantified recommendation before implementation. Choosing and running bought software is part of our function. We do not need a custom build to justify the engagement.
Read our buy-before-build policy. Compare stabilizing and rebuilding an existing system, or start with Foundation.
07 / Common questions
Is custom software always more expensive than bought software?
Compare implementation, migration, training, integration, recurring operation, changes and exit over a relevant period. State which figures are known and which are assumptions.
Will Ego Eimi run software bought from another vendor?
Yes, when the software and its integrations are included in the coverage schedule. Choosing, implementing, integrating and running bought software is part of the technology function.
Editorial review: Ego Eimi · Updated September 6, 2026 · About the team
Your technology
Start with the business
Your business depends on it.
Tell us which system matters, what has changed and who controls it. We will define a reviewable next step. Read Foundation and the commitments and evidence.